Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-23
THE MAN AT THE WHEEL.
How Boys ON the River Grow Up Ga
be Pilots,

NOW 10ye ON the River GROW Up tO
be Pilots,
THE LANGUAGE or THE LIGHrs-How THE Puou |
KEEP TRACK or THE CHAENKL-THI RIVER AND /
TIs LANDMARKS PHOTOGRAPHED ON THEIR MINDS |
TALK WITH AN OLD PILOT.
As the steamer passes the little iron lighthouse
he Is always at the bow leaning over the rail and
waving his hat He is young fellow and wears |
the blue suit with brass buttons and the heavy |
yisored cap OF the steamboat company. Twice q
day the steamer passes this slight. and each time
as the whistle blows he takes his place In the bow
always with his face turned toward some
thing on the iron balcony OF the little house
standing there all alone In the waste OF water,
II Il had waded out Is far as 1t could to meet the
boat There Is always an eager expectant express
sion on the young vatermanS face as he leans far
over the rail Sometimes he doesn't see at once
what he Is looking for and little shadow will pass
ever over MS iace; Then white apron appears az the
HIS face brtghtens up, and he leans over and
waves his hat as long as the little figure is in
sight Then ne walks on smiling at some happi-
ness within himself There is wide stretch OF
water between them, and they cannot see the
smile on each others face, but each time they are
there-the sailor boy on the bow and the white
apron at the lighthouse door. The steamer keeps
straight on It's course, and the 'nightr has waded
He is studying the w1ndings OF the river. the
shores the lights the buoys and the bars By
and-by he VIII have pilots license, and then,
iron house In the water. Then the lighthouses
VIII be only guides to point his way safely home
and to keep him on the shoals
THE PILOT AND THE LIGHTS.
There is sort OF Communion between pilot and
the Flights" on his way, though there be no hand
kerchief waved from the door, and the pilot be old
and brown. Every light and every buoy, the high
hills on the shore and the points lutting out into
the river, all are familiar friends OF the pilot ana
q snrfo Of Ann n, sa.r a.,
he sails up and down the river night and day Be-
fore man can become pilot he has got TO learn
and bar and the sScre TeT do
not learn this from charts or by any course OF
study In the science OF navigation but by starting
In as boys employed as roustaboutS or whatever
they may be, and sailing up and down the rlver
until II becomes like familiar path. The law re-
CURES that they should sail thus for three years
before they can get their frSt license. sometimes
they are ten or twelve years before they become
perfect. Every boat that sails upon the Potomac
upon their knowledge OF the stream depends the
safety or the hundreds OF excursionists that go
upon the water In the summer time
PLOTTING ON THE POTOMAC.
'The Potomac" said an old pilot TO STAB re-
porter, sis not so very difacult to learn. All the
boats here are In the hands of good pilots and you
never hear OF an accident on account of ignorance
OF the channel The pilot has the responsibility
OF the whole boat and the lives OF all the passen-
Be photographed upon his mind, SO that II you
take him in his sleep to any point on the darkest
night he could tell In an Instant just where he
wouldn't know what to do with chart. They 90
by the buoys and lights, OF course, but TO the Old
pilots these are not more certain guides than the
profile OF the horizon. Az opening In the trees
here, rounded hill or nat stretch or country
inst Mhers these things The tell ou the P
be taken up and the lights destroyed, yet an old
pilot would find his way with perfect safety In
the earlier times they used to steer by landmarks
altogether, remember one old tree that stood on
high hill on the shore OF the Hudson that we
used to steer by. When it got so Old and rotten
that 1t could not stand alone rocks We're pied
around 1t. Gradually the rocks were piled higher
and higher as the tree decayed and wien ii r0tted
away altogether light was put on the pile OF
HUDSON, but think even now could wake in the
middle OF the night in a stateroom and tell In a
minute just where we were.
The Potomac Is now well supplied with buoyS
and lights. so as to make navigation easier, but
before the war the pilots were dependent upon the
sIsnS ss IN t nyes II beT sy con
live on the water, first IN small sail-boats and
In tugs gradually extending their Journeys, and
getting employment upon larger crafrs, until the
river became their home.
EXAMINING THE CANDIDATES.
"When man applies for pilots license he has
to submit to rigid examination, and afterward,
II he is guilty OF any neglect or an accident hap
pens to him through Ignorance, he is tried by
OLlclafS duu SuSpeuutu, vi
taken from him. While on duty he cannot leave
his post Tor moment. lie is always at the wheel.
and'is absolutely In COMMAND q the boat. BuL
dificult Is on g sailing vessel, where he
boat pilot know as much about the river The
sail pilot knows more about the depth OF The
water. He knows Just how far lie can go In shore
without grounding AZ any place. The pilot on a
steamer generally knows but little about The
bottom, and II forced TO go out OF the regular
course there Is danger OF his grounding. There is
a general impression that pilots study the BOTTOM
OF the river. It's mistake They seldom know
anything OF the bottom. They 60 by landmarks
and ouoys. They don't like anything like scleace,
particularly the old fellows. A cnart showing the
depth or water and the general character
OF the bottom Is an annoyance 10
them. They prefer to depend upon the
knowledge they nave acquired by Association and
absorption. There are few educated men WHO
sail By time and according to scientific principles
but the Old pilots don't ike ii. The most difficult
plotting ever dad was in 81, when there was not
hight or buoy on the Potomac and the shores
were fned with rebel batteries. We had 10 sail oy
cOnSt AIT danger OF shells A pilot must have the
greatest skill and long study and experience, and
there Is not much ahead OF him. He gets very
small pay, with little chance OF promotion. He Is
tied 10 the wheel for Lite. Yet every year there Is
a large increase in the number Of pilots. Boys
who grow up about the wharveS and on the water
are very apt to take to plotting. During the past
year three hundred and ffty-eight new pilots have
got licenses in New York harOOr and sixty nine In
The Baltimore district, which includes Washing
ton"